Contradictions in the job

Pats on the back are welcome, responsibility is not

The acute shortage of skilled workers has massively intensified the race for good employees. In the search for suitable staff, employers often have to deal with contradictions.

Andreas Mayer (name changed) has just started a new job. But after just a few weeks, he is already asking himself whether it was really the right choice. He has not yet received any praise from his boss and, strangely enough, the car enthusiast, who also likes to go on vacation to faraway countries, is bothered by the fact that the company pays too little attention to the environment. The 38-year-old Tyrolean is like many new recruits and his employer is like many others.

Occupational psychologist Andreas Hermann is familiar with the problems and contradictions that companies have to contend with.(Bild: Business Beat)

"Despite extensive efforts, finding motivated and qualified employees and integrating them into existing teams is difficult," says occupational psychologist Andreas Hermann. The managing director of "Business Beat", a company that supports companies in the creation, evaluation and interpretation of employee surveys, is also increasingly recognizing generational conflicts that make this issue even more difficult. "Essentially, three serious contradictions are currently crystallizing that companies are increasingly confronted with in their function as employers," says the expert.

Despite extensive efforts, the search for motivated and qualified employees and their integration into existing teams is proving difficult.

Arbeitspsychologe Andreas Hermann

Hunger for feedback, but no ability to deal with criticism
"Qualitative and honest feedback as well as appreciation will become the new gold in the world of work in the coming years," Hermann is convinced. According to the occupational psychologist, employees want advice (usually very gentle) on how they can improve and change their work. However, the ability to take criticism is extremely low.

Companies should operate and act sustainably, employees are looking for long-distance travel and places of longing
"In my view, it is a very paradoxical phenomenon that young employees in particular like to transfer to employers. They want to be able to tell others that they work for a particularly sustainable company," explains the Innsbruck native. This allows you to project a "bought" image on social media and make it easier to disguise the fact that you pay less attention to the environment yourself.

A high level of interest in prestigious titles and tasks and yet no willingness to take responsibility
According to Hermann, a real dilemma arises between the willingness of employees to take on responsibility in combination with the existing hierarchy and the organizational chart in the company. "It has to be organized in a straightforward, simple, unassailable and low-criticism way. It's actually impossible," the co-founder of "Business Beat" is convinced.

"The loss of baby boomers will fuel the situation"
Approaches such as a high degree of personal responsibility from the very first minute in the company, small teams with "leaders" who have little management responsibility and more instructional responsibility and a tighter network of generalized managers who almost exclusively practice people management may sound challenging, but in Hermann's view there is no alternative. "The managers of yesterday brought up the employees of today. And the disappearance of the baby boomers in the next five years will further exacerbate the current situation."